Macbeth (2015) 10/10. Visually sumptuous, this very cinematic adaptation features Michael Fassbender as the future King of Scotland and beautiful Marion Cotillard as his ruthless spouse. Great support is provided by David Thewlis as Duncan, and Sean Harris (so good in Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation) as Malcolm. I've had reservations about previous film versions--Welles' movie is a joke, and although Kurosawa's approach is effective, it loses all of Shakespeare's original language. And I've never been able to make it all the way through Polanski's version. But here is a real winner: every shot is a delight. The language is retained, but pared to the bone. Further, a good deal of it is done in voice-over. When characters do speak together, it is usually in whispers. There is no declaiming, no speechifying. The result is something that bears almost no relation to a stage presentation. Add to this the amazing Scottish locations filmed in 'scope ratio and the excellent sonic design and score (essentially a Dirge and Variations). Also some fun color grading and a generous use of slo-mo (especially for the battle scenes). Shakespeare's plot is followed mostly, but when they do take liberties the choices are always good ones (the Birnham-wood-come-to-Dunsinane routine is cleverly done). The murder of Duncan put me in mind of the killing of Col. Kurtz, and later when Fassbender cleansed himself and emerged from a mountain pool I had the thought, They could have called this film Apocalypse Then.

Last Tango in Paris - 5/10 - In which Marlon Brando gets the butter. Not terrible, but I had a hard time connecting to anything: not the performances (Brando was good I guess, though he mostly makes monkey noises and mumbles in French), not the sex scenes, not the butter, not the photography or self-indulgent direction. Bertolucci's appeal continues to escape me.

Truth - 5/10 - Wrongheaded dramatization of the CBS "Rathergate" scandal, where 60 Minutes released a shabby story about George W. Bush's National Guard service. Handled well, this could be the anti-Spotlight, showing the consequences when the media gets an important story wrong. Instead, the filmmakers absurdly use the occasion to grandstand against the Bush Administration and political pressure on journalists. You can't defend journalistic integrity when you've completely botched a story; "fake but accurate" doesn't cut it.

The Martian - 7/10 - Like most Ridley Scott films, mildly entertaining but unremarkable. If the movie had focused solely on Matt Damon (who is excellent) and his efforts to survive, it might have been better. The mission control/rescue mission cutaways are a waste of time, diffusing any tension or sense of urgency. Lawrence of Arabia's hangout, the picturesque Wadi Rum, beautifully portrays Mars.